A weekly Durham music therapy program is marking its ninth year of helping people experiencing mental health challenges build friendships, connection and a sense of belonging.
Durham Mental Health Services runs the Tuesday program as a welcoming place where participants can play music, listen and spend time with people who understand their experiences.
Family support helped inspire the program
Longtime volunteer Shakier and his wife, Laura, first connected with Durham Mental Health Services while supporting their youngest son, Neil, through mental health challenges.
The organization’s Family Support Program assisted the family through difficult periods and continued to support them after Neil died by suicide in 2016.
Neil was a musician known in Durham Region. Donations from relatives, friends and fans were directed to Durham Mental Health Services in his memory, with the goal of helping other musicians experiencing mental health challenges. The music therapy program began soon afterward, and Shakier became a volunteer.
Weekly sessions create lasting connections
Some participants who joined in the early years continue to attend each Tuesday. Shakier told Lakeridge Health that music brings people into the room, while the friendships and personal support system encourage them to return.
The program supports emotional, cognitive and mental well-being through music. It also reflects Lakeridge Health’s wider Mental Health and Addictions services for people facing mental health challenges and for their families and loved ones.
The official story does not describe the sessions as a replacement for clinical care. It highlights community, peer connection and regular creative activity as forms of support.
Crisis support is available
Anyone in Canada thinking about suicide can call or text 9-8-8 at any time. People in immediate danger or needing urgent medical help should call 9-1-1.
Durham residents can also contact the Durham Mental Health Services Crisis Access Linkage Line at 905-666-0483 or 1-800-742-1890. The service is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The ninth-year milestone shows how the Durham music therapy program has grown from a memorial initiative into a continuing local support community.
